[Pkg-javascript-devel] Node.js and it's future in debian

[Jonathan Nieder]

Hi again,

Patrick Ouellette wrote:

> I completely agree, but apparently Node.js' upstream has changed the name 
> once previously (apparently from a similar problem) and while acknowledging
> the name is generic and a poor choice refuses to consider another change.
> (According to what I can tell from the Debian discussion.  I have not
> talked to Node.js upstream personally.)

The working title of Node.js was "server" for a few weeks, before
anyone was using it.  When I looked that up in order to understand
what the name "node" was about (in the spirit of [1]) I mentioned this
factoid without making the context sufficiently clear, and I'm sorry
about that[2].

To avoid banging heads against the wall too quickly: I think there are
two aspects that it would be productive to discuss:

 1. Which package should use the name "node" in the long term?  What
    can we do to ensure that happens eventually?

    (My answer is that I hope that neither uses the name "node" in
    the long term.)

 2. What should be the state in Debian's upcoming "wheezy" release to
    provide a smooth upgrade path and not surprise users too much?

    (My answer is that configuration needs to be smoothly migrated:

     - ax25d.conf by the ax25-tools package
     - inetd configuration by the node package
     - other configuration by the sysadmin, after they are notified
       through a note in node's NEWS.Debian file (shown by
       apt-listchanges) and the release notes

    I also would hope that wheezy can include a /usr/sbin/node file
    that prints a message to help people notice they are still using
    it and calls /usr/sbin/axnode, but that is still under discussion.

    Likewise, the Node.js needs some migration to ensure scripts
    installed by Debian packages and from outside use the new name.
    I would hope that wheezy can include a /usr/bin/node synonym for
    compatibility until usage of it fades away, but that is still
    under discussion.)

If you disagree with the long-term goal or have ideas for a smoother
migration, that could be useful.

Hope that helps,
Jonathan

[1] http://wiki.debian.org/WhyTheName
[2] https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2011/11/msg00377.html